Thanksgiving Treat

The season of giving is upon us! I have been collecting new and gently used items for cats and dogs in the local rescue. A group of us did this last year for the holidays and it was a great success so I hope that we can all find it in our hearts to step up and donate again! I have such spoiled dogs and they are very fortunate but I want to make sure all fur babies feel the love!!!

Here are a few items that the shelter can use:

1) Blankets
2) Pet beds
3) Dog and cat food
4) Treats
5) Leashes
6) Dog collars
7) Kongs
8) Various toys
9) Grooming items
10) Dog/cat bowls
11) FOOD

These are just some ideas. Please consider donating. Contact me for drop off information.

Protect Your Pet

I know that people are very capable of doing horrible things and sadly if you turn on the news you can hear about it all day long. This makes me particularly sad because not only are your stealing someone's property but you are also stealing their best friend. For most pet owners, their fur babies are not property at all. They are members of the family. People are now stealing family pets and selling them for profit. This makes the rest of us more paranoid because when we drop off our pets at doggy daycare, grooming, pet sitting, etc. we could come back and our pet is gone. It's not like you need to show an ID when you pick up your pet. Is this what the next trend will be? We've seen how things have changed with children and being picked up at school by their real guardian. For good reason of course! Who knows how the laws are going to change it is impossible to say as animal law is still somewhat taboo. Pets are property under the law but advocates are always working for a better future for our fur babies. 


Article found on ASPCA website:

http://www.aspca.org/blog/warning-pet-flipping-rise?ms=so_fac_blog-post-pet-flipping-20130722&initialms=so_fac_blog-post-pet-flipping-20130722&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=facebook&utm_source=blog-post-pet-flipping-20130722

Moving In A New Direction

I haven't posted in a while. I do it for myself and to keep the memories of my pups alive forever. I've decided to now include more animal related laws and news on here. I want to move to human rights and animal law in the near future because it's truly my passion. If anyone happens to read this who knows about these fields then I would appreciate any comments or suggestions for me to move forth in this new endeavor.

The article below is about a new law that helps animal shelters.

HARRISBURG - Animal shelters have greater legal recourse to seek reimbursement for the costs of caring for abused animals under a new state law.
When the law takes effect in September, shelters and local prosecutors will be able to petition a Court of Common Pleas for an order requiring defendants to pay reasonable costs associated with their animal being seized in a cruelty case.
Reasonable costs are defined as up to $15 a day for each animal and necessary medical care as determined by a veterinarian.
The law provides for a hearing within three weeks on a petition. If the animal owner doesn't pay what the court orders, the animal would be legally forfeited to the shelter and made available for adoption.
Until now, shelters have had to wait to seek reimbursement in these cases until an owner is convicted of charges. Meanwhile, the shelters faced the burden of paying costs up front while cases continue for months. And, the shelters do not always getting full restitution in the end.
The Pennsylvania SPCA said it petitioned various courts for $744,000 in restitution for costs of care last year, but received only $31,000.
This law will be a big help because sometimes it can take years before a cruelty case is resolved in court, Cindy Starke, shelter manager of SPCA of Luzerne County said on Friday. On one occasion, the shelter cared for nearly 100 animals brought there for safekeeping as a result of a hoarding case, she added.
The society is caring for about a dozen cats and dogs pending court action in cruelty cases, he said.
"Each year, hundreds of animals are seized by law enforcement and placed in shelters as a result of animal abuse cases," said Rep. Brian Ellis, R-Lyndora, the law's sponsor. "The shelters that take in these abused animals are typically private, nonprofit organizations that rely heavily on donations to operate."
If an owner is found innocent, the law provides that the animals and sums spent for care in the interval would be returned to him or her.
The law will shift the financial burden to those responsible for an animal's suffering, support enforcement of animal cruelty laws and make it easier to find new homes for abused animals, Jerry Buckley, CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA, said.

 http://citizensvoice.com/news/new-law-helps-animal-shelters-1.1520395

Sunbathing

It's 90 degrees, the fur is flying and the dogs are HOT! I keep telling them to come inside but NOPE they want to sunbathe. I wonder if it is something innate that makes them want to be in the sun. Perhaps they know that they need their vitamin D. Either way, I have to buy another vacuum because the fur that I pick up every single day has destroyed the machine. It's unbelievable because I brush these guys all the time, bathe them and give them omega supplements. Yet, every time I don a black suit for work it is covered in fur within the first two minutes. Double coated dogs. FUN! :-)

Snowing in Spring

Smell of Spring!

Spring is in the air! My pups are feeling the heat. Buddha has already started panting and I have to vacuum my house every single day because there is fur everywhere. They wake me up earlier because the sun creeps out and there is no rest for the weary. But I'm glad to be up early and going to the dog park early gives me time to breathe it all in and listen to the chirping of the birds. It brings a smile to my face and peace to my heart.

So tomorrow is the first official day of Spring and it is also the Persian New Year. The vernal equinox marks the first day of the Persian New Year as this calendar is solar. Iranians everywhere will celebrate with their families and with beautifully colored haftseens in each home. A haftseen is a spread adorned with seven items, which each have a symbolic meaning.

1. sabzeh(سبزه) wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth
2. samanu (سمنو)- a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence
3. senjed (سنجد)- the dried fruit of the oleaster tree - symbolizing love
4. seer (سیر)- garlic - symbolizing medicine
5. seeb (سیب)- apples - symbolizing beauty and health
6. somaq (سماق)- sumac berries - symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
7. serkeh (سرکه)- vinegar - symbolizing age and patience

In other words, symbols are powerful and they are found in every aspect of the Persian culture.

To all of my Persian friends, NOROOZ PIROOZ! Eid Mobarak! Here's too a wonderful new year filled with happiness and health. :-) 

Sibling Rivalry

Every morning I make sure to give the boys their CET Enzymatic chews. I turn on the TV and make sure that they have a full bowl of water too. This is my morning work ritual after we have gone on our walk. They truly look forward to receiving the chews and it makes the anxiety of me leaving almost a moot issue. Unfortunately, I have noticed that Buddha's behavior has changed towards his brother. He takes his treats and watches to see where Simba is going with his. I try to keep them separated because I have noticed that Buddha will slyly go up to Simba, steal his chew and hide it under his paw! I was amazed and flabergasted that this silent, kind dog was being a bully. Simba is typically the alpha in the group but he doesn't even go towards Buddha when this happens. He sulks in a corner and looks at me.

When I do see this behavior I immediately correct it but unfortunately I am not there most of the time to see what's going on. Other indications that there is something going on between the two of them are that Buddha pushes Simba out of the way when I come home. He will even go as far as chomping the back of his neck if he is getting too much attention from me or chase him around the house. He doesn't typically hurt Simba but there are moments when Simba will scream.

It disturbs and saddens me because Buddha does not have any aggression or cruelty. He would never bite a person and he is just such a playful, relaxed dog.

Anyone out in the doggy world have any suggestions? I think that I am going to take Buddha back to training. But he is so well behaved with sitting, staying, etc. so I'm not even sure if that will help.

Why The Long Face?

I just can't get enough of these dogs. Even when they roll around in the mud they are still adorable. Simba typically refuses to get dirty but today he let loose and dug a huge, muddy hole at the dog park. He loves to eat mud and wood chips so it didn't matter that he was filthy afterwards. It only bothered him when I cleaned him up when we got home. On the other hand, Buddha was filthy and when he gets dirty the mud gets embedded in his fur. Bath time!